Shannon Hader

Shannon Hader, MD, MPH, serves as Dean of the School of International Service at American University. Previously, she held the position of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of Programmes at UNAIDS, establishing herself as a leading global authority in HIV/AIDS response and international health policy.

Her research and professional focus spans HIV/AIDS epidemiology, tuberculosis co-infection management, public health systems strengthening, global health governance, health policy formulation, and international development frameworks. Dr. Hader's career demonstrates sustained commitment to translating scientific evidence into effective public health interventions across governmental and multilateral institutions.

Prior leadership roles include Director of the Division of Global HIV and TB at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Vice President and Director at Futures Group International (now Palladium); Senior Deputy Director of the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration at the District of Columbia Department of Health; and Senior Scientific Advisor to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief at the US Department of State. She currently teaches SIS-635: Advanced Topics in Development Management: The Architecture of Influence, examining institutional power structures in global health governance.